Blowout preventer and method of insuring prevention of fluid leaks out of a wellhead

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for preventing fluid leaks out of a well which involves installing a blowout preventer at a wellhead, the preventer has a body with a bore communicating with a bore hole and a clamping means for controlling the passage of fluid through the bore. Means are provided for directing sealant into the bore beneath the clamping means so that when an occurrence of a blowout is sensed, the clamping means are closed to inhibit flow of fluid up the bore and a sealant is injected through the directing means into the bore so that the sealant is carried to the closed clamping means which forms a seal to insure that fluid does not leak past the closed clamping means.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of insuring the prevention of fluid leaks out of a wellhead, comprising the steps of: installing a blowout preventer at the wellhead, said blowout preventer having a body with a bore for communicating with the bore hole of a well, clamping means mounted with the body for controlling the passage of fluid through the bore, and means mounted with the body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below the clamping means, said directing means including sealant passageways communicating with the bore, the passageways being disposed within the body with outlets below and above the clamping means to insure that the sealant is directed below the clamping means when injected through the passageways even though the blowout preventer is installed upside down on the wellhead;   sensing the occurrence of of a blowout in the well;   closing the clamping means to inhibit the flow of fluid up the bore; and   injecting a sealant through the sealant directing means into the bore so that the sealant is carried to the closed clamping means by flowing fluids, a seal being formed thereby to insure that the fluids do not back past the closed clamping means.   
     
     
       2. A method of insuring the prevention of fluid leaks out of a well, comprising the steps of: installing a blowout preventer at the wellhead, said blowout preventer having a body with a bore for communicating with the bore hole of a well, clamping means mounted with the body for keeping the fluid pressure within the bore hole, sealant directing means at the wellhead for directing sealant into the bore below the clamping means and sealant passage means in said body with outlets below and above said clamping means;   sensing the occurrence of a blowout in the well;   closing the clamping means in response to the sensed occurrence to seal the fluid pressure within the well; and   injecting a sealant through the sealant directing means into the bore so that the sealant will be carried to the closed clamping means by any fluids leaking past the closed clamping means, a seal being formed by such sealant at said clamping means to insure that fluids do not leak out of the well.   
     
     
       3. A method of insuring the prevention of fluid leaks out of a wellhead, comprising the steps of: installing a spool at the wellhead, said spool having a body with a bore for communicating with the bore hole of a well and means mounted with the spool body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead;   installing a blowout preventer above said spool at the wellhead, said blowout preventer having a body with a bore for communicating with the bore hole of the well and clamping means mounted with the preventer body for controlling the passage of fluid through the bore said blowout preventer having an internal packing in the annulus between said bore and the pipe extending through said bore, said packing being located below said clamping means and above said sealant directing means;   sensing the occurrence of a blowout in the well;   closing the clamping means in response to the sensed occurrence to inhibit the flow of fluid up the bore; and   injecting a sealant through the sealant directing means into the bore so that the sealant is carried through said internal packing to the closed clamping means by flowing fluids, a seal being formed thereby to insure the fluids do not leak past the closed clamping means.   
     
     
       4. A ram-type blowout preventer used at a wellhead, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough;   means mounted with said body for coupling said body to the wellhead with the bore in communication with a borehole;   clamping means mounted with said body for controlling the passage of fluids through the bore by moving from an opened position where said clamping means is retracted to a closed position where said clamping means is in clamping and sealing engagement with drill pipe extending through said bore;   said clamping means being carried by opposing rams; and   means mounted with said body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below said clamping means, said directing means including four sealant passages provided in said body leading to the bore with outlets from each passage located above the wellhead and below the clamping means, the outlet of each passage being on either side of and in relatively close proximity to each opposing ram to provide uniform distribution of sealant around the bore, a sealant injected into said directing means being carried by fluid flowing up the bore to the clamping means and cooperating with said clamping means to enhance the sealing ability of said clamping means when the clamping means are closed and thereby insure that fluid does not leak past the clamping means.   
     
     
       5. A blowout preventer used at a wellhead, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough;   means mounted with said body for coupling said body to the wellhead with the bore in communication with a borehole;   clamping means mounted with said body for controlling the passge of fluids through the bore by moving from an opened position where said clamping means is retracted to a closed position where said clamping means is in clamping and sealing engagement with pipe extending through said bore;   means mounted with said body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below said clamping means; and   valve means mounted with said directing means for preventing fluid flow out of the bore while permitting fluid flow into the bore, a sealant being injected through said directing means being carried by fluid flowing up the bore to the clamping means which sealant cooperates with said clamping means to enhance the sealing ability of said clamping means when the clamping means are closed, thereby insuring that fluid does not leak past the closed clamping means.   
     
     
       6. The blowout preventer of claim 5, wherein said directing means includes a passage provided in the body leading to the bore and said valve means includes a seating surface disposed within the passage, a movable element mounted within the passage for mating with the seating surface and a spring urging the element into engagement with the seating surface. 
     
     
       7. The blowout preventer of claim 6, including a bolt threadedly mounted in the passage for plugging the passage to prevent flow of fluid and sealant through the passage. 
     
     
       8. The blowout preventer of claim 7, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the seating surface. 
     
     
       9. The blowout preventer of claim 6, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the seating surface. 
     
     
       10. A blowout preventer used at a wellhead, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough;   means mounted with said body for coupling said body to the wellhead with the bore in communication with a borehole;   clamping means mounted with said body for controlling the passage of fluids through the bore by moving from an opened to a closed position; and   means mounted with said body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below said clamping means, said directing means including a sealant passage provided in the body leading to the bore with outlets located above and below said clamping means to insure that sealant injected through said passage will be injected on the wellhead side of said clamping means and carried by fluid flowing up the bore to form a seal when the clamping means are closed which insures that fluid does not leak past the closed clamping means even though the blowout preventer is installed upside down at the wellhead.   
     
     
       11. An opposing ram-type blowout preventer used at a wellhead, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough;   means mounted with said body for coupling said body to the wellhead with the bore in communication with a borehole;   clamping means mounted with said body for controlling the passage of fluids through the bore by moving from an opened to a closed position, said clamping means being carried by opposing rams;   means mounted with said body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below said clamping means, said directing means including   a set of four sealant passages provided in the body leading to the bore with outlets located below said clamping means and   another set of four sealant passages provided in the body leading to the bore with outlets located above said clamping means to insure the injection of sealant on the wellhead side of said clamping means in the event the blowout preventer is installed upside down on the wellhead,   an outlet of each passageway of each set of four being on either side of and in relatively close proximity to each opposing ram to provide a uniform flow of sealant around the bore; and   valve means mounted within each passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore while permitting fluid flow into the bore, a sealant being injected through said directing means being carried by fluid flowing up the bore to the clamping means which forms a seal when the clamp-means are closed and thereby insure that fluid will not leak past the closed clamping means.   
     
     
       12. The blowout preventer of claim 11, wherein said valve means includes a seating surface disposed within each passage, a movable element mounted within the passage for mating with the seating surface and a spring urging the element into engagement with the seating surface. 
     
     
       13. A blowout preventer used at a wellhead, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough; means mounted with said body for coupling said body to the wellhead with the bore in communication with a borehole;   clamping means mounted with said body for clamping against pipe extending through said bore and controlling the passage of fluids through the bore by moving from an opened position where said clamping means is retracted to a closed position where said clamping means is in clamping and sealing engagement with said pipe;   means mounted with said body for directing sealant into the bore above the wellhead and below said clamping means, a sealant injected through said directing means is carried by fluid flowing up the bore to the clamping means and enhances the seal of said clamping means when the clamping means are closed and thereby insures that fluid does not leak past the closed clamping means.   
     
     
       14. The blowout preventer of claim 13, wherein said clamping means includes opposing rams to thereby form a ram-type blowout preventer. 
     
     
       15. The blowout preventer of claim 13, including sealant supply means mounted with said body for injecting the sealant through said directing means into the bore of the blowout preventer. 
     
     
       16. The blowout preventer of claim 15, including control means mounted with said supply means for injecting the sealant into said directing means from a remote location. 
     
     
       17. The blowout preventer of claim 13, wherein said clamping means includes annular packing members to thereby form an annular type blowout preventer. 
     
     
       18. A wellhead assembly for insuring the prevention of leaks out of a well, comprising: a blowout preventer for sealing the fluid pressure within a borehole of the well, said preventer including a body with a bore in communication with the borehole and clamping means mounted with the body for sealing the fluid pressure within the borehole when a blowout is sensed; and   means mounted in said body beneath said clamping means of said blowout preventer for directing sealant into the bore of said blowout preventer below said clamping means when the clamping means move to a closed position to seal the fluid pressure within the borehole, the sealant being carried by leaking fluids up to the bore to the closed clamping means and cooperating with said clamping means to enhance the seal of said clamping means to insure that the fluids do not leak out of the well.   
     
     
       19. The wellhead assembly of claim 18, wherein said directing means includes a casing spool mounted with the casing in the well, said spool having a body with a bore in communication with the borehole and the bore of said blowout preventer and a passage in communication with the bore for directing sealant into the bore to be carried by the fluids up to the clamping means of said blowout preventer. 
     
     
       20. A wellhead assembly for insuring the prevention of leaks out of a well, comprising: a blowout preventer for sealing the fluid pressure within a borehole of the well, said preventer including a body with a bore in communication with the borehole and clamping means mounted with the body for sealing the fluid pressure within the borehole when a blowout is sensed; and   means mounted beneath said blowout preventer for directing sealant into the bore of said blowout preventer when the clamping means move to a closed position to seal the fluid pressure within the borehole, the sealant being carried by leaking fluids up the bore to closed clamping means which forms a seal to insure that the fluids do not leak out of the well, said directing means including a casing spool mounted with the casing on the well, said spool having a body with a bore in communication with the borehole and the bore of said blowout preventer and a passage in communication with the bore for directing sealing into the bore to be carried by the fluids up to the clamping means of said blowout preventer; and   valve means mounted with said spool for preventing fluid flow-out of the bore while permitting fluid flow into the bore.   
     
     
       21. The blowout preventer of claim 20, wherein said directing means includes a passage provided in the body leading to the bore and said valve means includes a seating surface disposed within the passage, a movable element mounted within the passage for mating with the seating surface and a spring urging the element into engagement with the seating surface. 
     
     
       22. The blowout preventer of claim 21, including a bolt threadedly mounted in the passage for plugging the passage to prevent flow of fluid and sealant through the passage. 
     
     
       23. The blowout preventer of claim 22, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the seating surface. 
     
     
       24. The blowout preventer of claim 21, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the seating surface. 
     
     
       25. A casing spool used in a wellhead assembly, comprising: a body with a bore therethrough;   means mounted with said body for attaching said body beneath a blowout preventer in the wellhead assembly, the bore being in communication with the borehole of a well and a bore in the blowout preventer;   means defining a passage in said body leading to the bore for directing a sealant into the bore, the sealant being carried by leading fluids up the bore to closed clamping means in the blowout preventer for forming a seal to insure that the fluids do not leak out of the well; and   valve means mounted with said body for preventing fluid flow out of the bore while permitting sealant flow into the bore.   
     
     
       26. The casing spool of claim 25, wherein said directing means includes means defining a passage provided in the body leading to the bore and said valve means includes a seating surface disposed within the passage, a movable element mounted within the passage for mating with the seating surface and a spring urging the element into engagement with the seating surface. 
     
     
       27. The casing spool of claim 26 including a bolt threadedly mounted in the passage for plugging the passage to prevent flow of fluid and sealant through the passage. 
     
     
       28. The casing spool of claim 27, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the sealing surface. 
     
     
       29. The casing spool of claim 25, including a cap covering the passage for preventing fluid flow out of the bore through the passage to the seating surface.